‘I need a woman in my life’

February 3, 2013 : Kemi lawal

Olu Maintain

His real name is Olumide Adegbulu but he is popularly referred to as Olu Maintain. An accomplished artiste, the Yahooze crooner, is one of the most extravagant artistes in Nigeria. In this interview, he opens up on his lavish lifestyle and the entertainment industry

Is it right to describe 2012 as your comeback year?

I think that will be a fair assessment because prior to 2012, l had some level of hiatus locally for about two and a half years. Last year, I redefined my brand and it was very refreshing to test the waters and reaffirm that the brand is still so much in demand. It was a year that defined the second phase of my career and I see myself as starting over again.

What do you mean by ‘the second phase’ of your career?

The first phase lasted for about 14 years. Then, Olu Maintain evolved from Maintain, the group, to Olu Maintain, the solo artiste that has seen it all and done it all. When you are in that state of mind where psychologically, you see yourself not being challenged any longer, it becomes difficult to have the hunger to do more. That was why in 2012, I decided to try another genre of music; another image and path in my career. I was overwhelmed that it worked. That has inspired me to look at myself as one who has given enough to the industry and who has more to offer. Therefore, it is a new beginning, another phase of the journey for me.

Why did you choose to be active only internationally in the last two and a half years?

That was not by choice. If I give you a rundown of my activities since the Yahooze album dropped in 2007, it is remarkable to see how quickly time flies. After the album was released in May 2007, I was on tour in Nigeria from that time until 2008 when I came up with the Kamakazi video. In 2009, I toured America for the first time and I visited 35 states. In 2010, I toured almost all the countries in Europe and in 2011, I started recording again. In September 2011, the Nawti audio was released and in January 2012, the video came out and the rest is history. Therefore, there was no time I sat down doing nothing.

You mean the emergence of new artistes in the industry did not force you to beat a retreat and restrategise?

I see the Nigerian music industry as one that is saturated but very uncompetitive. How do I explain an Olu Maintain that has been quiet for some years and only for him to come out with a music video in 2012? This is unarguably the best video in the country ever. That means that I saw what a lot that people were not doing and I capitalised on it. The industry is growing but it is not developing.

Why did you have to do a collabo with foreign artistes, is it that you cannot hold it down on your own?

To start with, the collabo between Olivia and I was purely circumstantial, it was not by choice. I met her at an industry party in Los Angeles by the producer of the Nawti video, Naomi Smith and we took it from there— courtesy her producer, Jerry Wonder. He is one of the best hands in the industry in America. That was how the track ‘Hypnotise me’ was born and Jerry wonder also facilitated my collaboration with Fatman Scoop, an American hip-hop star. So, my collaborations were circumstantial and as a result of me being at the right place at the right time. It was not something I set out to do or part of my agenda.

Having watched the Nawti video, it is very hard to believe there was no sexual chemistry between you and the video vixen

No comment but the beauty about my personality is that I can be overwhelming because I have a persuasive and likable personality. When I work with anybody, I like to establish a relationship outside work.

You raised the bar for yourself with Yahooze; do you think you can match that?

I am not going to match it, I will surpass it. Living up to it is not an achievement but surpassing it is the beginning of achievement. A DJ once told me that the only competition I have is me.

With your years of absence, don’t you think you have lost your place in the industry especially with the emergence of young artistes?

The truth about it is that the industry is my wife, I am married to it. I know what to tell my wife anytime I feel like making love to her. Other people are dating the industry and because I am married to it, I understand her language so I can make her dance to my tune when I so desire. You just wait and see what my new album. It is a ten tracker and each letter stands for a song.

Is there a possibility of Maintain regrouping?

Nature has a funny way of taking its natural course; I would not deem anything impossible. If it is nature’s calling and if God says we would come back, who am I to say no? But for the next four quarters, I already have my plans defined and if Maintain is going to do something, it will have to be in the future and not this year.

When will marriage come?

Olu Maintain has come of age; I am closer to 40 now, single and with no child. Before now, my career has been my wife and companion and that makes it necessary for me to start prioritising. It will be a safe assumption now to say I am seeking for something that is missing in my life. There is no woman in my life now but I am working towards it. I just want my woman to love me and love what I do. I am not attaching any physical attributes to it because that eventually will go away. It’s better to fall in love with someone because that lasts forever. My parents have been married for 43 years.

Apart from music, do you do other things?

Yes. How do you think I have sustained my lavish lifestyle? That is why people attribute my lifestyle to all sorts of negative things. What they don’t know is that I surround myself with friends that are not in my industry and that shows I have been able to sustain my fortune. I respect my colleagues but I don’t have any close friend in the industry. My best friend is a chartered accountant and a bank manager.

Don’t you think your lifestyle is too loud?

It is a part of me. I still like to blow, shine, stand out in a crowd and that is with some level of affluence. Besides, it is required for my profession. For instance, when I dress, I do loud colours and really that is just my person, and being an entertainer makes it mandatory for me to be flashy. I like to glow, bling and dress flamboyantly because I am not a conservative in any way.

I read somewhere you still live in a rented apartment…

It is false because I have tenants. How can I be collecting rent and still live in a rented apartment? By the special grace of God, I own the place where we are having this interview and many more.

So how much is Olu worth?

Olu will be rich for the rest of his life and that is by default. I cannot go broke for the next generation to come. I have planted enough for my next generation to benefit from. That is as a result of being prudent and making wise decisions in my choice of investments and circle of friends.

The Nawti video for instance cost a lot of money. It is the only Nigerian video that has 16 looks. Most Nigerian videos have four or five, which costs an average of $20,000 or $25,000 . So for a 16-look video, do the arithmetic.

How do you relax when you are not making music?

I love to stay in my home. I do not drink, smoke, or go clubbing. I only club when I am being hosted. I watch TV and I like to travel also. My persona is a completely misunderstood one. Contrary to what people think, I am a very warm person. I am Cancerian. so naturally I have a large heart and that is misinterpreted because I am an artiste.

Hi Kemi Lawal, Nice piece. I would like to establish contact with you in regards to my projects. how can i get in touch with you? kindly send me an email please at opaman@opaman.com . regards

mimi

its like when you look desperately you might not find so cool down, and the right girl will come along sooner than you think.

olawale oblaso

kudos to u my best artist,how I wish does that criticise u read this interview expecially that sentence,I own this where we are holdn this interview and more and I can not go broke to the next generation,I pray so by the grace of God

I was one of the people he called
out and he prophesied to me that “by this time next month, I’ll be calling
him from outside the country” and I will start flying abroad at least
twice each month.

After the service, my friend that
went with me to the prophetic visitation service asked me how possible can the
prophecy be because I was just a tomatoes and fresh pepper seller in the market
and a widow.

if you put all my tomatoes and
pepper together, it cant be more than
N15,000 and the Bishop is talking about flying abroad. Even my neighbors both
at home and the ones that sells close to me at the market laughed at the
prophecy when I told them about it.

But it happened! 3 weeks after the
prophecy, I went to the market as usual to sell my tomatoes when a woman who
came with one of her domestic staffs to buy food stuffs suddenly called my name
after staring at me for some minutes as I was packaging the tomatoes she came
to buy from me.

At first I didn’t recognize her but
latter did when when she told me she was my best friend in secondary school
back at Ilaje in Ondo state and we haven’t seen for close to 20 years. we lost
contact when she traveled abroad after our secondary education. To make my testimony short, that was how I followed her
to her house and I saw that she was very wealthy, she has shops both in Dubai
and here in Nigeria.

I told her all my problems and she
asked me to move in with my two kids my husband died and left for me into her
mansion and within one week, she processed my traveling documents and I went
with her to Dubai in her next trip.

Today, she no longer travels much, I
do the traveling to China, Dubai, Paris and Italy to import goods for her shops
and also do supply of my own.

Join me to thank the God of Bishop
Koleayo

-Mrs.Omolara
‘Layo

The Bishop is a prophet of one of a kind and I respect him a
lot.

He was my neighbour in Lagos far back in 2003 before he relocated abroad. It
was two flats in our compound. I and my family occupied one and the bishop and
his staffs where in the other. So you can see that I knew him very well.

I didn’t hear of him for a long time after he traveled until I came to Abuja
last month to pursue some contract as usual when I saw his billboards every
where and I coped out the church address which I visited and he was glad to see
me. he prayed for me and said in 14 days, I would be a millionaire. It was not
funny because there was nothing I hadn’t done to turn my situation around. i
sad to him, Daddy prophet, as I am talking to you, I even borrowed money to
come to Abuja to pursue one building contract, I have done a lot but it seems
the more I work hard, the harder things become for me. I have been to seasoned
prophets but no turn around. my wife feeds I and my 3 kids from her meager
salary she earns as a teacher.

When the prophet prophesied, I believed the prophet because I have known him
for years and all the great things God has been doing through him when we were
in Lagos together.

After I attended Bishop’s prophetic service, My phone that nobody calls
because every body seem to have forgotten if someone like me exists all of a
sudden started ringing with people calling to ask me to do business with them
and making enquiries.

Two weeks later as the Bishop prophesied, I was in the sitting room eating
eba with my two daughters one Wednesday night when I heard my phone rang to
notify me of a text message. I opened it and wow, it was an alert of
30,000,000. I mean 30 million credited into my account. It was like a dream
because that account balance was 0.00 Naira balance and hadn’t visited
the bank for a long time. I thought it must have been a mistake but when I
checked the name of the company that made the transfer into my account, I saw
that it was a company I once introduced to another company abroad to do some
business and I went there for almost two years for my payment but I was been
told one story or the other, I got frustrated and forgot about them thinking
they’ll never pay me again. I didn’t even know my own company’s percentage
would be that much but today you can tell the rest of the story.

Cars and houses of my own appeared over night that my former neighbours that
knew me and thought nothing good will ever come out of my life are saying now
that i went to do money rituals. hahahahahahaha

Thank you my most lordship Bishop Solomon Koleayo.

-Samuel Kenechukwu, Lagos Nigeria

_________________________________________

When i heard about what God does with Bishop Koleayo in Abuja, I had to visit
him because i needed serious prayers for protection because many attempts had
been made on my life both spiritually and physically.

Some of my political opponents wanted me

dead.

Few weeks after i visited Bishop Koleayo, i drove into my compound after the
days work. As soon as i entered my bed room, i heard gun shot sounds inside my
compound & before i could think of what was going on, i heard some men
shouting in my sitting room, where is chief? where is chief? It then dawn on me
that as i drove in, the men whom i latter discovered where assassins drove
behind me, entered my compound after me & shot my security man at the gate
six times and my driver who was also outside four times before entering my
sitting room where they met my wife, kids & others living with me. They
just asked everyone they met at the sitting room to lie down & was asking
for me in particular. I had just stepped into the house & went to my bed
room to freshen up when i heard the gun shot sounds outside.

I first thought they where armed robbers as it’s was becoming a usual thing
around our area at that time but i was confused on what to do as i was hearing
them shouting & asking after me.

I quickly opened my ward robe where i kept the anointed water & as i was
anointing my forehead with it, two of the men kicked my bed room door open with
riffles in their

hands, i was so afraid & confused that i fell on my bed thinking i had
died but i was surprised & i am still surprise because i was on top of the
bed

looking at the two hefty men carrying sophisticated weapons scattering my
bed room in search for me. they opened my wardrobe & checked under my bed
but didn’t see me that was on the bed looking at them. I was invisible to them.
I could see them clearly but they didn’t see me.

That was how they left.

I have heard of miracles but i never knew it works this way.

Thank you so much Bishop.

Chief Efosa, Benin City.

_________________________________

I represents the Bishop’s constituency in the

federal house of representatives.

When i first met him, i was a special adviser to the

then state governor. Bishop prayed for me & gave me some revelations that i

was going federal, he said he saw 7 people who are interested in the place God

is taking me to & i was at the front with the other six behind me but

somehow, someone came & dragged me to the back. He said i should pray

seriously so that, i that is the head should not be made the tail. honestly, i

didn’t understand all he meant until it was time to vie for the office of the

house of representatives.

As Bishop earlier prophesied, it was exactly 7 of us

that bought the ticket to contest for the party primaries to become our party’s

flag bearer which we slogged out and i won but as we where celebrating &

campaigning, we didn’t know what happened & how it happened, my name was

substituted with another person’s name at the party head quarters to be the

party’s flag bearer for the general elections.

I was confused & unhappy. I then remembered that

Bishop had once prophesied it four years before now.

I called him, he kept praying for me & assured

me that i would be given back my ticket which seemed impossible for many people

as it doesn’t happen easily in the places like where i come from but it

happened as Bishop said it. The ticket was returned to me few nights before the

elections, i ran for the general election & i won.

It also happened few years ago when my Lexus SUV was

snatched from me by some gun men, i called the Bishop, out of all the prophets

i contacted, He was the only prophet who told me i was going to get my car

back. It took many months that i even forgot the car but anytime i get to meet

or speak with Bishop, with so much confidence, he would assure me my car would

be found & it was found miraculously at Ibadan.

Bishop, i & my family holds you in high regards

for all the numerous things God has used you to do for us and this generation.

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.